“I was honored to stand beside President Obama today as he signed into law the fully inclusive and bipartisan reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. As a cosponsor of the original 1994 legislation, I am encouraged that Congress was able to come together to expand the Act’s protections for LGBT Americans, Native Americans, and immigrants.

“I think the senators that went obviously wanted to talk to the President about whether or not they could reach common ground on a lot of very important issues including most importantly a compromise that we could get this country on a fiscally sustainable path and have what we call a big deal

“Forty-eight years ago today, 600 courageous young men and women marched for civil rights and an end to voter suppression in Selma, Alabama. They were met with batons and hoses as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge on their way to the State Capitol in Montgomery.

Today, House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Rep. Peter King (R-NY) will reintroduce the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act. The legislation, which passed the House in 2010 with broad bipartisan support and will be reintroduced later today, honors the legacy of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and supports people with intellectual disabilities and their families. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act would reauthorize the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act and authorize the Department of Education to make grants to the Best Buddies organization to support the expansion and development of mentoring programs for people with intellectual disabilities.

Today, House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer joined 212 House and Senate Democrats in filing an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court in U.S. v. Edith Schlain Windsor, which challenges Section 3 of the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act.

"I am proud to join in marking Women’s History Month 2013, when we recall the courage and determination of those who have fought for women’s equality and celebrate the many critical contributions women have made to our nation. This year, we observe the centennial of the 1913 National Women’s Suffrage Parade in Washington, which saw 5,000 women raise their voices to demand their equal right to vote.

"Thank you very much, Madam Leader. Violence against women. We take an oath to protect the Constitution, but in effect we take an oath to protect all of our people. All of our people, not some of our people. America has a history of not protecting all of our people all of the time. We are trying, continuously, to overcome the exclusion of some.

Today, House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) announced the creation of the new Democratic Whip Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity, and that he has appointed Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) to serve as its chair. The Task Force will work to raise the awareness of Members of Congress and the American people about the ongoing crisis of poverty, as well as the need for a comprehensive national effort to eradicate poverty and remove barriers to opportunity that prevent low-income Americans from reaching the middle class.

"I was pleased to stand with my colleagues today in support of common-sense, comprehensive policy recommendations that will help reduce gun violence while respecting the Constitutional rights of responsible gun-owners.

“Today marks the beginning of Black History Month, a time to reflect on the countless contributions African-Americans have made in making the promise of America the practice of America. Having recently marked the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, we recalled the struggle of those who worked to bring freedom to millions suffering the injustices of slavery. We also remembered the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who fifty years ago shared a vision of brotherhood that caused the walls raised by a century of Jim Crow to crumble.

Thank you very much Leader Pelosi and thank you for your leadership. I am very pleased to join Gwen Moore and one of the few males that is standing here with all these wonderful Members of Congress who are women – Chairman Conyers. I am proud to join in reintroducing the Violence Against Women Act in the 113th Congress.

“Today, President Obama and Vice President Biden outlined a series of steps to make our communities and children safer from gun violence. From a universal background check to a new ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, from new resources for law enforcement to new initiatives that help those with mental illness access the help they need, the President’s plan is a major step forward to address the epidemic of gun violence that has plagued our country in recent years.

"On this day, 150 years ago, our nation took a major step forward toward ending the evils of slavery and achieving the new birth of freedom which President Abraham Lincoln promised. When the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on New Year's Day in 1863, it ushered in a new American era that brought the country closer to the ideals of its founders. I join in celebrating this important anniversary and all that we have achieved as a nation - through struggle and sacrifice - to build on that proclamation by making our union more perfect through greater equality, inclusion, and equal opportunity for all our people."

Today’s announcement by the President of an interagency task force to address mass-casualty gun violence is an important step as our nation continues to mourn the victims of last week’s horrific shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Vice President Biden has been a staunch advocate for sensible measures to reduce violent crimes, and he will bring to the task force a depth of experience and the direct link to the Oval Office that this issue deserves.

The history of America is the history of advancing civil rights, and this is the next step in that journey. By hearing these cases, the Supreme Court has the opportunity to ensure that every family is treated equally under the law. I am confident that the Supreme Court will rule that discrimination has no place in this nation, and will further the cause of civil rights for years to come.

I am extremely disappointed that Senate Republicans blocked ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today. Its ratification would enable the United States to play a leading role in helping other nations set policies that expand opportunities for their own citizens with disabilities. Modeled after the bipartisan Americans with Disabilities Act signed into law by President George H. W. Bush in 1990, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities represents a major step forward for individuals throughout the world living with disabilities and hoping for increased accessibility, equal opportunity, and greater independence. I was proud to have worked with former Rep. Tony Coelho and others, including former Republican Sen. Majority Leader Bob Dole, to pass the original Americans with Disabilities Act, and I strongly urge Senate Republicans to reconsider today’s vote and allow this treaty’s ratification.

Today, the full Senate is considering the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a landmark treaty that will strengthen the rights and freedoms of individuals with disabilities throughout the world – and which was reported favorably by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in July. The Disabilities Convention draws heavily on the Americans with Disabilities Act, which Congress passed in 1990 with broad bipartisan support, and the Convention has already been championed by an array of leaders from both parties. Its ratification will send a strong message that the United States is committed to the human rights, equal opportunity, and full inclusion of all who live with disabilities in our country and every other. I was proud to have helped lead the effort, along with former Rep. Tony Coelho and others, to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act, and I join in calling on the Senate to agree to the Convention’s swift ratification.